I Lost 100 Pounds While Eating This Low-Calorie Spaghetti Recipe
You don't have to starve yourself skinny. In fact, you can eat larger portion sizes and still lose weight if you follow one rule, an expert claims. Benji Xavier (@benjixavier) is a TikTok influencer with over 3.6 million followers on the network. Most of his content has to do with his whopping 100-pound weight loss and all the tips and tricks that enabled him to get into the best shape of his life. In one viral video, he reveals that one tactic – volume eating – enabled him to lose weight fast and keep it off. We also spoke to The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian to weigh in.
Volume Eating Is How He Lost 100 Pounds
@benjixavierLearning to volume eat was a game changer!♬ original sound – Benji Xavier
"How did you lose weight? How did you lose weight? What was the secret? You guys know I lost a hundred pounds and I was able to do it because I learned how to volume eat," he reveals.
Pasta Is Low Volume, High Calorie
First, he holds up a small amount of spaghetti. "This is 200 calories of regular pasta, and although I love pasta and it's great, that's not going to keep me full," he says.
Spaghetti Squash Is Low Calorie, High Volume
"This is 200 calories of spaghetti squash, low calorie, high volume," he says, showing off a large bowl of the gourd. He points out that the spaghetti is "low volume, high calorie." He notes that the spaghetti squash serving is 800 grams, "I'm going to show you how simple it is to eat it, and I'm going to be making this super simple."
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He Serves It with Meat Sauce
"I'm having it with some lean ground beef and some low sugar tomato sauce. I'll just be pouring our little pasta sauce on top of the spaghetti squash, and I'm going to be topping it with a little bit of Parmesan cheese," he says, reiterating that the meal is "low calorie, high volume. I'm going to be full for hours."
There Are Lots of Benefits to Eating Spaghetti Squash
What are the health benefits of spaghetti squash? According to Collingwood, it is "very low in calories, high in vitamin C and B-vitamins, and offers ample fiber for digestion.
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Zucchini Noodles Are Also Great
Collingwood agrees that the squash is an "excellent swap for pasta," as it is "much lower in calories but still gets the tastes of a pasta meal with the meat and tomato sauce," she says, adding that zucchini noodles are another great option. "I also love cauliflower rice for regular white rice or filling red or green peppers with ground beef," she notes.
💪🔥Body Booster: If you want to eat more food and lose weight, consider swapping in veggies for carbs – like zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for pasta or cauliflower rice for regular rice.
